The present invention relates to roadway markers and signs that delineate traffic lanes and/or the edges of public roads and, in particular, to a collapsible signpost and movable reflective marker.
Lane or roadway markers or delineators can be positioned at the center or sides of roadways to alert drivers to the right and left extremes of each traffic lane. Many markers are mounted to signposts secured along the road shoulder or in the center median. The markers generally provide reflective surfaces and many are designed to move to catch a driver's attention and assure recognition. The markers are especially helpful at night or during extreme weather conditions, such as fog, rain or snow. The markers are typically mounted at uniformly spaced distances of several hundred feet, for example, the normal distance illuminated by a vehicle's headlights. A marker is thereby always visible to a driver to delineate at least one road edge. The lack of one or more markers makes driving difficult, since drivers must guess where the road is.
Damage to roadway markers or delineators frequently occur from traffic accidents and maintenance equipment. The problem can be especially onerous in locales that experience snowstorms and icy road conditions. Snow plows, graders and other road maintenance equipment commonly damage the signs and signposts, not to mention residential mailboxes, when maintaining the roads under such conditions.
Delineator signposts are typically constructed from metal channel stock that exhibits a general "U" shape when view end on. These signposts are commonly bent or knocked over with a plow blade or windrow of plowed snow or ice. Most damage occurs from lateral impact to the post, which can shear, bend or twist the post.
With each change of season, if not sooner, maintenance personnel must repair and/or replace the damaged signs and signposts. Because such repairs are labor intensive and time consuming, the repairs can be costly for any municipality or responsible agency.
Repairs may require either replacement of bent or damaged reflective markers and/or replacement of the signpost. Signpost replacement is rather tedious and requires replacing all damaged components and/or extracting the damaged post from the ground. Any digging increases the necessary time and cost of repairs. If the ground is frozen, extraction may not be possible until spring thaw.
The present signpost was developed to reduce necessary repair time and minimize digging. The signpost provides a multi-section post that includes a ground stake and a sign stake that are secured at a collapsible joint. A replaceable friction material is compressed at the joint in a vertical plane that parallels the interface between the stakes to retain the stakes upright. The joint provides a controlled threshold to rotation that retains the sign upright under normal conditions yet fails when the sign stake is stressed with forces greater than a predetermined amount. For example, the sign stake will remain upright under heavy winds, yet collapse if exposed to greater forces less than that necessary to bend the stake.